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Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom

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Minnesota Youth Institute

The Minnesota Youth Institute (MNYI) engages high school students in solving local and global hunger issues. This interactive, day-long program brings teens from across the state of the University of Minnesota for an immersive science experience while connecting with research and industry leaders. MNYI serves as a gateway to the World Food Prize Symposium and global travel, paid internships and a scholarship to the university.

What does it involve?

9-12 Students research a global hunger issue and present solution(s) to leaders and peers across the state.

Research paper and registration for Minnesota Youth Institute due by April 11, 2022 at https://mnyi.cfans.umn.edu/

Attend this year's virtual event on May 16, 2022.

What are the benefits?

High school students who participate are eligible for:

  • $1,000 scholarship to the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) within the University of Minnesota.
  • Potential to participate in Global Youth Institute and the World Food Prize held each October in Des Moines, Iowa. Students get to meet and discuss solutions to hunger issues with global leaders in science, business, philanthropy, policy, and more.
  • International Internships and USDA funded Internships: Work with acclaimed international researchers and practitioners in the field to improve food security and solve the most pressing agricultural, nutritional, health, economic and environmental problems around the world.
  • Network with peers across the state and meet with research & industry leaders. Have their voice heard and their ideas known.

Want to learn more?

Professional Development Webinars by Jessica Blosverg
Professional Development Webinar on Minnesota Youth Institute
Zoom Registration
February 1, 2022
4:30p.m. – 5:30p.m.

Calling all teachers of students grades 9-12! Join Jessica Blosberg (MN Ag in the Classroom Regional Specialist), Mary Buschette (MN Youth Institute Coordinator), and Eric Sawatzke (West Central Area School Agriculture Teacher) to learn about how to bring global awareness, issues around fighting hunger, and knowledge of agriculture to your students. We will explore (free!) lesson plans from Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom, hear about (free!) opportunities for students through the World Food Prize Foundation (WFPF) and Minnesota Youth Institute, and learn about the Global Guides professional development program through the WFPF. All three hosts bring personal knowledge of the internships available to students, experience with opportunities for participants to meet global leaders and researchers and are excited to invite you to be a part of bringing global agriculture to your classroom. Join us as we show you step-by-step how to inspire your students to join the fight against hunger around the world.

What teaching resources does MAITC offer to support MNYI?

  • Journey 2050 Journey 2050 takes students on a virtual farm simulation that explores world food sustainability. Using an inquiry based approach the program encourages students to make decisions and adjust them as they see their impact on society, the environment and the economy at a local and global scale. The students experience the lives of three farm families in Kenya, India, and Canada. As the student interacts with each family they learn the role of best management practices in feeding the world, reducing environmental impacts and in improving social performance.
  • Global Food Security Students will explore the causes of hunger, both domestically and globally; evaluate potential solutions for solving world hunger; and forecast the impact of a growing world population on current food supplies.
  • The Carbon Cycle and Climate Smart Agriculture Students will explore the carbon cycle, evaluate natural and human-induced activities that drive the carbon cycle, and discover climate smart agricultural practices that can be used to produce our food.
  • The Role of Women in Agriculture Students will investigate the number of women farmers globally and identify these farmers' impacts on contemporary agriculture.
  • Trading Around the World Play this game to experience the challenges and excitement of international trade. See if you can get the best price for the goods you sell and the biggest bargains for the goods you buy. Watch how the global economy is doing: the prices you'll be able to get and the deals you can make depend on how healthy the global economy is.
  • World Hunger Map With our grocery store shelves overflowing with a seemingly unlimited abundance of food, many Americans do not realize that around the world, in our own nation, and even in our own communities, people may not have enough food for adequate nutrition. This map clearly shows the percentage of undernourished individuals around the globe and is a great tool to teach students about the importance of food and the reality that even with as much food as there is in the world, some people still go hungry.

More Resources